3 offseason moves by AFC North rivals that should scare the Ravens
By Kristen Wong
It feels like decades ago since the Baltimore Ravens had the best odds to win the AFC North last year. We all know what happened instead.
As the Ravens look to put together a comeback season for the ages, Eric DeCosta and the front office have focused on patching up the many holes on their roster this offseason, including the pass-rush and the offensive and defensive lines. The recent Bobby Wagner news is deflating, but it’s not the end of the world. Baltimore trudges on.
Yet it’s hard not to notice the free agency rumblings in the rest of the AFC North, where the Ravens’ rivals have carefully been building playoff-contending teams of their own.
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals prepare for another Super Bowl appearance, this time no longer as the underdogs.
The Cleveland Browns try to justify their incredulous quarterback deal and put a stop to perennial and pitiful insults like “the Browns will be the Browns.”
And finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers look to rebound after cutting ties with long-term beau, Big Ben, and join the crowded AFC landscape.
In an unprecedented offseason that saw the most shake-ups in the league in recent history, we take a look at which move by each AFC North team could have the biggest impact in the division. A resilient franchise like the Ravens will not be so easily rattled, but Baltimore have reason to be frightened by a few of their rivals’ recent acquisitions.
Here are the three scariest moves in the AFC North so far.